


Bird Watching (A Job Interview Of Sorts)

by Quicquidlibet



Series: Reverse Robin AU [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Reverse Robin AU, age reversal au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-11 06:15:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11708529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quicquidlibet/pseuds/Quicquidlibet
Summary: Look, if there were only two things that Tim Drake was sure about, it's that Batman needed a Robin and he really didn't want to get stabbed. Somehow, both involved Redbird being in his room.Damian Wayne just wanted to see the person who figured out his identity for himself. It was not what he expected.(An AU where the order of the Bat children is reversed, making Damian the oldest.)





	Bird Watching (A Job Interview Of Sorts)

**Author's Note:**

> What you gotta remember while reading this is that the entire time I wrote this, I couldn't stop thinking about the time Tim canonically said "Call me a spoiled, squeamish, bourgie whiteboy, but I'm not rolling those dice, no matter how tasty it looks." The quote has nothing to do with the story, I just want you to remember he's an awkward 90's kid and that fueled most of the characterization in this fic.  
> Beta'ed by [Bren](http://archiveofourown.org/users/safety_dancer/pseuds/safety_dancer)

Tim froze, window only halfway up, as he realized that there was a figure crouched on the railing of his fire escape. He couldn’t just continue sneaking out as if he were alone, because he wasn’t. There was very clearly someone on his fire escape. He could be stabbed. He’s reckless, not an idiot. But it was too late now; he had been staring too long. He couldn’t pretend he was just opening the window for some air. Ignoring the guy might be seen as rude, and that might get him stabbed too.

“Redbird,” he said, shifting awkwardly. Does he raise the window more? Close it? Invite the vigilante in? Dammit, he really needed to learn the proper etiquette for when a vigilante randomly shows up at his house. He really didn’t want to get stabbed. “Uh. How’s the crime-fighting?”

“Timothy Drake, correct?” Redbird said, hopping off the railing and pushing the window open fully to climb in. Well, that answered Tim’s internal question about what to do. A bit rude, though. At least he could've _asked_ to enter.

The thirteen year old gave a small nod in answer and backed up to make more space. “I’m guessing your dad told you about me.”

Redbird glanced around the room with disinterest before focusing back on Tim. “I need to know who else knows of our identities. Additionally, what’s so significant about _you,_ that you were chosen to reveal this breach of security to Batman?”

Tim blinked. “What?”

“Who told you?”

“Oh, no one, I figured it out when I was eight.”

There was a long silence as Redbird stared at Tim.

“I mean, I was following you and Batman around Gotham with my camera since I was six, but that was just because I liked Batman. I didn’t realize you were Robin until I was eight, and that was only because I recognized your speech pattern when my parents brought me with to some charity thing and I accidentally overheard you. From there, it was easy to guess that Batman was your dad.” He was rambling. Tim normally didn’t ramble, at least, in his own opinion. To be fair, he didn’t normally have the son of Batman hanging out in his room, so maybe he could cut himself a little slack. For all Redbird knew, this is normal Tim Drake behavior. Just a casual, too long explanation about his six year old self’s stalking habits. Yup. Normal.

Redbird scoffed. “I highly doubt that a child could follow me around without me noticing.”

“Oh, uh,” Tim said. “I have photos to prove it.” He moved to his bed, where he crouched down. Underneath, there was a re-purposed collection of Tupperware containers, all holding his photos from his nightly jaunts following the Bat around Gotham. Most teens have porn hidden under their beds. But Tim? He had an unhealthy collection of photos documenting the vigilantes he was possibly a bit too obsessed with. Classy.

Redbird was staring at him. Even with a mask, Tim recognized a face of judgement. This was it. This was how he died. Embarrassed, in his own room. Would Redbird have the decency to hide the photos before he left? Or would he leave them out for Tim’s parents to discover that their child was a bit too good at climbing buildings at a young age?

“What is it about my speech pattern that you recognized?” Redbird asked as he took one of the Tupperware-turned-photo-boxes. He opened it and studied the top photo intensely. He began studying the other photos, only pausing to give Tim an expectant look.

Tim shifted his weight from right to left. He could clearly remember the backhanded comments muttered under the other’s breath about Lex Luthor he had overheard that night, especially the cleverly rare swear words he shouldn’t have been familiar with at such an age. “The way you complain about things is pretty distinctive, dude.” Redbird had been swearing since he started as Robin, not even Batman could change that. Young, impressionable Tim had amassed an impressive arsenal of biting insults simply from following Robin’s solo patrols.

Redbird remained silent, choosing to study Tim’s face instead of the photos.

“If you’re here to stab me, can you like, make it look cool? Nothing dramatic. I just don’t want to be known as that guy who fell on a knife,” Tim said once the silence began to stretch to the max limit of awkward he could handle.

“Don’t be an idiot, if I was going to stab you, I wouldn’t do it in an area with such high visibility,” Redbird said.

Tim nodded. “Right.”

The vigilante resealed the photo box and placed it on Tim’s bed before continuing. “Why did you tell Father ‘no’ when he asked if you were volunteering to be Robin?”

“Because I wasn’t?” What was happening here? Is this how normal interrogations go? This is much more confusing than his talk with the Bat. That hadn’t been in his room. Oh, damn. Smart move, Redbird, smart move. Good way to throw Tim off his game. “I have no training and that’s like, the exact opposite of what Batman needs. He just lost a Robin.”

“Now you’re an expert on what Batman needs?”

“He needs a Robin. That’s the only thing I’m sure about.”

“It also seems to be the only thing proving your competence at the moment,” Redbird said.

Tim couldn’t tell if that was a backhanded compliment, or just a regular insult. Redbird had never been known for his tact. But he also called him competent. Sort of. Score.

“So… Are you gonna go back to being Robin again?” Tim asked.

Redbird fixed him with another judgmental look. And more silence. Wow. This guy sure was a fan of long pauses and judging others.

“And you’re climbing out the window now, okay, I guess,” Tim said, watching as the vigilante left without a response. “Should I assume that’s a no? Is this gonna be a regular thing? You’re not listening. You’re gone.” Taking a page out of Redbird’s book, Tim paused and looked around his room. “Well, that happened.”


End file.
